


A Game Of Sorts

by carrotsblythe



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, and embarassed gilbert is the funniest gilbert, anne is actually so blind and someone plans on pointing that out wink wonk, bash is just being a little shit, updated, was this just an excuse to write sassy jerry?, yes it was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 17:04:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16067495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrotsblythe/pseuds/carrotsblythe
Summary: "I'd better place this over here," Bash said, placing the bowl directly in front of Gilbert. "I know that Blythe over here has a fondness for carrots,"





	A Game Of Sorts

If Marilla had known that Gilbert Blythe would turn up on the doorstep of Green Gables that morning, she might have woken Anne up slightly earlier. 

 

She did not condone vanity in the slightest, but a fair warning might have been appropriate, considering Anne was currently half-dressed and parading about the house freely, talking about some fair maiden or beauteous princess. Marilla never paid enough attention to know for definite which she was pretending to be, as there was so many variations of her fantasies that she had stopped attempting to memorise them all. Instead, she settled on yelling an " _Anne! Company's here!_ " and silently prayed that she did not assume that it was Rachel Lynde. 

 

"Whatever do we owe the pleasure to, Mr Blythe?" Marilla said, ushering him into the kitchen and away from the chilly February morning. Gilbert took at seat at the table, taking off his hat and gloves and placed them on his lap, while Marilla poured him a cup of tea. 

 

"I came to ask if you, Mr Cuthbert and Anne would care to join us for dinner at our home next Sunday afternoon," Gilbert said, although Marilla smiled at how he looked quite distracted, like there was another reason altogether as to why he was there.

 

"Well, I don't see any reason why that should be a problem," Marilla said. "I'm sure Anne will look forward to it," 

 

"What will I look forward to, Marilla?" a red-headed girl asked whilst bounding down the stairs two at a time. Anne stopped dead in her tracks when she realised that it was  _not_ , in fact, Mrs Lynde who had come to call, as she had previously assumed it would be, and that it was Gilbert Blythe who was sitting at the table in front of her. She heavily regretted leaving her hair down, and wished that she had braided it instead. Luckily, she had, however, had enough sense to complete getting dressed when she had learned that company was present. 

 

"Good morning, Anne," Gilbert said cheerily. 

 

"What are  _you_ doing here?" she questioned. 

 

"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!" Marilla cried, appalled at her lack of manners towards guests. 

 

"I was only asking, Marilla," Anne protested. 

 

Marilla decided to postpone the lecture on proper ways to speak to visitors when said visitors were not present. After all, it was rude to scold your child ( _Marilla Cuthbert with a child!_ ) in front of guests. 

 

"Gilbert has come to ask us to dinner with Sebastian and Mary next Sunday," she said. 

 

Anne's face momentarily lit up in excitement, and then she frowned. 

 

"Oh... But what about Jerry?" Anne asked. 

 

"What about Jerry?" Marilla retorted. "You know perfectly well that he doesn't work here on Sundays,"

 

"But  _next_ Sunday you promised him that he could stay for dinner at Green Gables whilst his parents went to visit his brother in Carmody. I remember because I had to teach him to spell  _blacksmith_ ,"

 

Marilla sighed as she remembered the promise she had made to young Jerry a few weeks before. It was certain that dinner at the Blythe's was a more dignified affair, but a promise was a promise, and Marilla would not disappoint Jerry by turning him out of doors, on a Sunday, no less. 

 

"Oh dear, I completely forgot-" Marilla began to apologise. 

 

"Jerry could come too!" Gilbert offered quickly, and then hastily added, "I mean, only if he wants to, of course,"

 

"I'm  _sure_ he would!" Anne said excitedly. "Jerry has only ever been to Miss Barry's to tea before, and back then he had just been attacked, and he thought he had lost his job at Green Gables, and he was afraid of thunderstorms and of being alone so he had to sleep-" Anne swiftly realised that the end of that sentence was not something she should say in front of Gilbert  _or_ Marilla. "Well, he wasn't feeling overwhelmingly positive that day, I suppose," she concluded instead, and prayed she would not be questioned any further. 

 

"It looks like we will be seeing you on Sunday after all," Marilla said. 

 

"We will be glad to have you there," Gilbert replied, looking at Anne mostly whilst he said this. When Gilbert had finished drinking his tea, Marilla walked him to the door where they said their farewells. 

 

"Give our kind regards to Mary and Sebastian," said Marilla. 

 

"I will, of course, Miss Cuthbert," Gilbert promised, and turned to make his way back home. 

 

When the door was closed and Gilbert was a long enough distance away that he was safely out of earshot, Anne was finally able to exclaim to Marilla:

 

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me that  _Gilbert Blythe_ was the company!" 

 

Meanwhile, Gilbert was wondering why he had never had the pleasure of seeing Anne with her hair down before. 

 

* * *

 

Jerry was give luxurious treatment during the course of the following week. His clothes, while appropriate for working on the farm, were not deemed "clean enough" by Marilla's standards of dinner with guests. She proceeded to wash the muck off of his pants, mended the many holes in his shirt and lent him one of Matthew's old flat caps. 

 

"I wish my parents would go to Carmody more often," Jerry had remarked happily to Anne during one of their lessons in the barn, whilst Marilla was scrubbing furiously at a stubborn stain on his jacket. 

 

When the sun rose on Sunday morning, and cast a golden light on Green Gables, the house was filled with mixed emotions. 

 

Marilla was stressed, having had no luck with the stain and sighed with resentment over having to allow Jerry to attend the dinner with it on. Matthew was very anxious. Dinner with guests in his own home was bad enough, but a strange environment with strange people would be even harder to bear. He considered telling Marilla that he had work to do in the barn, but he knew that she would insist Jerry stay behind to deal with it, and he could hardly do that to the poor lad considering he was almost overcome with excitement. Jerry had never been invited anywhere before (Anne had told Jerry that they had asked for him specifically, rather than say that they had not really thought to invite him at all, and she had made Gilbert solemnly vow in school that he, Bash and Mary would not mention that fact to Jerry) and it was such a rare treat to have a  _real_ supper, that was not just bread and cheese. 

 

Anne, however, was not entirely sure how to feel at all. She was excited, sure, She absolutely adored Mary, and Bash was ever so interesting, but Gilbert...

 

Well, he was going to be there, and Anne wished he was not. It was so much easier for her to speak when she did not feel him staring at her all the time. She knew that he did it, only she thought that he was constantly searching for another thing to tease her of. (She wondered why it took him so long- there were plenty of things! Her hair, her freckles, her homeliness et cetera, et cetera...) 

 

Meanwhile, in the La Croix-Blythe household, there were two single emotions. Excitement and fear. The excitement was felt by Bash only. The fear was felt by both Mary and Gilbert.

 

Bash had been hinting all week of an evil plan that would take place during the dinner. Nobody knew what it was, not even Mary, yet she already knew that she did not approve of it, and had told Bash so many times if she had once. This did not sway him, however, as he was still intent on carrying out his dastardly scheme. 

 

Bash had created a little game to play throughout the dinner called "How Many Times Is It Possible For Gilbert Blythe To Be Embarrassed In One Evening Before He Either Says Something Incredibly Stupid Or Does Something Incredibly Stupid?"  

 

He could not  _wait_ to play. 

 

Gilbert has spent Sunday morning locked up in his bedroom worrying. Bash was planning something, and it _had_ to be something involving Anne! He surely would not tell her of- he would not dare! As much as Bash loved to tease him, he would never do something like  _that._ So what could it be?

 

When a knock at the door was heard that afternoon, Bash was the first to reach it. 

 

"Good afternoon, Cuthberts and Shirley-Cuthbert," he greeted them. "And, um..." 

 

"Baynard," Jerry introduced himself. " _Je m'appelle_ Jerry Baynard. It's very nice to meet you,"

 

"Ah, of course. I've heard a lot about you. Please, come in,"

 

Bash  _had_ heard quite a lot about Jerry considering they had never crossed paths before. Gilbert had told him all about the time he had tried to beat him up, and had heard about him many times after that, since he happened to be present whenever Gilbert came to call on Anne. (Coincidentally, Anne always had to go and see Diana for some "important meeting" shortly after he arrived.)

 

The Cuthberts, Shirley-Cuthbert and Baynard were led into the dining room. It was a small house, having been occupied by only two people for a very long time and never needing any sort of extension. It was humble enough. There was no fancy ornaments lying around or unnecessary shelves that hung empty on the wall. There had been a couple of changes since Mary had moved in. Several vases of flowers were placed on otherwise bare windowsills (which Anne would replenish every time she visited)  and sewing was often left half-finished on a chair or stool for Bash to accidentally sit on. 

 

There was no need for an extravagant table in the dining room, so there was only a small one that could seat four people. Seeing as there was seven people at the dinner, another equally as small table was brought in from the barn and pushed up against it to make a slightly larger table. Bash Mary, Marilla and Matthew sat at one table, whilst Anne and Jerry sat at the other. 

 

Gilbert, who was internally panicking over whatever Bash was planning, was still hiding in his bedroom. He did not dare to come out until he knew he was safe from whatever Bash was going to pull.

 

Gilbert did not know it would never be safe until Anne left. 

 

After a lively conversation, led mostly by Anne and partly by Bash, about the statistical probabilities of getting your hand stuck in a fence (Bash argued it was very high, Anne argued with many convincing points that he was, indeed, an idiot) Mary decided to do something about the lack of Gilbert's presence. 

 

"I'll see what's keeping him," she had said, exiting the dining room and going to check on the young boy. Or should she say young man? She could never be sure anymore. 

 

With Mary gone, Bash could finally start having some fun. 

 

"So, Anne," he grinned. "Gilbert tells me you're good at spelling," 

 

Anne smiled. "Well, I certainly beat him in the spelling bee last week. Did you know that Gilbert doesn't know how to spell _beauteous_?" 

 

"Did he forget to add an " _e_ " by any chance?" Bash asked innocently, raising an eyebrow. 

 

"I-  _yes_ , how did you-" she stammered. 

 

Anne was interrupted as Mary came through with Gilbert, who was looking almost sick with fright. 

 

"Ah, Gilbert," Bash grinned mischievously. "We saved you a seat. I assumed you would want to sit next to Anne,"

 

Strike one. 

 

Gilbert gave Bash possibly the dirtiest look in the history of planet Earth. Mary gave him the  _second_ dirtiest, and whacked him over the head with the back of her hand.

 

"Help me with dinner,  _now_!"  she hissed, dragging him into the kitchen. 

 

"Of course, my angel," he chuckled, following her. 

 

There was a long silence. Neither Marilla or certainly Matthew were ones to start conversations, and Anne was feeling particularly uncomfortable. 

 

Did Gilbert tell Bash  _everything_ she did? Did he know about their foreign correspondence? Did he know about the _Carrots Incident?_ Did he know about anything else she did not know? 

 

Jerry, however, felt none of the awkwardness, and there was one question on his mind. 

 

"Anne, what is b-bea…"

 

"Beauteous?" Anne helped, and Jerry nodded. 

 

"It's an old word for beautiful. It is spelled B-E-A-U-T-E-O-U-S," 

 

Gilbert was going to murder Bash with his bare hands. Did he  _have_ to bring this up in conversation and embarrass him to the end of the earth?

 

(Also, when did Anne start spelling out words with  _all_ of the boys? Was that not  _their_ thing?)

 

"Would you like me to write it down for you when we get back to Green Gables?" Anne asked Jerry. 

 

" _Non,_ it's alright. I already know how to spell beautiful and it means the same thing." A mischievous grin spread across Jerry's face. "Maybe you should write it down for Gilbert,"

 

Strike two. 

 

This was the moment Gilbert decided he did not like Jerry. 

 

"Maybe I should," Anne said, smirking at Gilbert. 

 

Matthew and Marilla watched the whole encounter in a state of mild horror. They pretended to be deep in conversation so they did not have to scold Anne and Jerry for bring so rude to Gilbert. 

 

Bash, who was listening intently from the doorway, thought that Jerry was a perfect angel and was prepared to offer the boy everything that he owned and more. When Mary reluctantly said that he could return to the dining room to entertain the Cuthberts, he sat next to Jerry instead with a wide grin. 

 

"So, Jerry..." he began, and Gilbert eyed him warningly. "Any ladies you got your eye on?" 

 

" _Non_ , not exactly..." he said wistfully. 

 

"Really?" Bash said. "Any girls you've seen at the school? Brunettes, blondes,  _redheads_..."

 

Jerry promptly burst out laughing. 

 

"And  _what_ is so funny about that?" huffed Anne. 

 

"Nothing, nothing..." he wheezed. "It's just... the only girl I know of that goes to the Avonlea school with red hair is you, and that hi-i-i-i- _larious!"_

 

"What's wrong with Anne?" Gilbert asked defensively.

 

"Nothing!" Jerry said solemnly, wiping a tear from his eye. "She  _is_ very annoying but-"

 

"Jerry! How dare y-" Anne began to shriek. 

 

"Anne!" Marilla hissed. She could stand a little rudeness, but not a full blown battle in the middle of someone else's house. 

 

"Bash!" Mary yelled from the kitchen. "Help me bring through the dinner before you start another argument,"

 

Jerry instantly forgot all about Anne's rage when he was met with the prospect of food, and licked his lips excitedly. 

 

Mary and Bash came back through with plates of delicious smelling food. Bash vanished into the kitchen again for a moment, and re-entered the dining rom with a small dish, full of orange vegetables. 

 

"I'd better place this over here," Bash said, placing the bowl directly in front of Gilbert. "I know that Blythe over here has a fondness for carrots,"

 

Strike  _three_. 

 

Gilbert chose this moment to choke on his water and develop a chronic cough. With a spasm that  _almost_ looked as if it was done purposefully, he flung his fork underneath the table, and disappeared below to catch his breath, still spluttering violently. 

 

Everyone above the table was staring at Anne. Both Matthew and Marilla looked slightly worried, Mary was positively furious at Bash and Jerry was grinning along with him. 

 

Anne, however, did not get the joke. 

 

"Why are you laughing?" she asked Jerry angrily. 

 

"Because-"

 

"Hush, Jerry!" Marilla snapped. 

 

After a good few minutes, Gilbert gingerly brought his head out from beneath the table. His face was aggressively red from both the coughing and the embarrassment. 

 

"Are you alright?" Anne asked seriously. 

 

"Mm-hm," Gilbert managed to choke out. 

 

Anne took his word for it, although his face did look  _awfully_ red, but she supposed if she had just had a coughing fit, her face may be a bit red too.

 

* * *

 

Jerry could not believe how blind Anne was, and he planned to tell her that. 

 

They were in the barn, having returned from the dinner an hour ago, and were about to begin a mathematics lesson. Jerry was in a mischievous mood, which was clearly the effect of spending too much time with Bash. He had solemnly said to him upon departure:

 

"You should come over more often, Baynard. I think we have a lot in common,"

 

"Did you really not understand the joke at dinner this evening or were you trying not to embarrass the Blythe boy?" Jerry questioned. 

 

" _What_ are you talking about?" Anne asked, annoyed. Everyone had been walking on eggshells around her all evening- even Matthew- though nobody would tell her why, and she was getting rather tired of it. 

 

" _Gilbert has a fondness for carrots?"_ he said, and Anne stared at him blankly. 

 

"That's what Gilbert called you. Carrots,  _oui?"_ he explained, and Anne shook her head. 

 

"Don't be ridiculous, Jerry. It was just a coincidence,"

 

"I think you should tell him that," Jerry grinned. "The way he started choking afterwards was-"

 

Anne rolled her eyes. "Look, if you're going to keep spreading all of these _lies_ , I'm not going to help you learn long multiplication," she said, standing up and gathering her things. 

 

"All right, all right. I'll stop now," he sighed, pulling her down next to him and taking out his slate, that was once-upon-a-time smashed upon Gilbert's face. 

 

The two of them sat silently for a while, with only the sound of chalk scraping against the slate in the form of " _twelve multiplied by thirty-three"._

 

"He does have a crush on you though," Jerry said quietly, and smirked. 

 

" _Jerry!"_ Anne cried angrily, but her voice was drowned out by Jerry's maniacal cackling, as he rolled around in the hay. 


End file.
